Daily Devotionals

Matthew 1:1–17｜The Genealogy of Jesus Christ: God’s Faithfulness and Grace in History

Kermit Wu

— 3 min read

I. Passage Overview

Matthew 1:1–17 records the genealogy of Jesus Christ, tracing His lineage from Abraham to Joseph. This demonstrates that He is the Messiah (Christ) anticipated by the Jews and the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to Abraham and David.

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matt. 1:1, ESV)

“So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.” (Matt. 1:17, ESV)

II. Background and Exegesis

1. Why does Matthew begin with a genealogy?

  • Audience: the Jewish people
    Matthew highlights Jesus as “the son of David” and “the son of Abraham” (Matt. 1:1), meeting Jewish expectations that the Messiah would come from this lineage (2 Sam. 7:12–16; Gen. 12:3).
  • To show Jesus’ legal status
    The genealogy affirms that Jesus is a rightful heir to David’s royal line.
  • To reveal God’s covenant faithfulness
    No matter how turbulent Israel’s history was, God preserved the line until the Messiah came, proving He keeps His promises.

2. Structure of the genealogy

Matthew divides the genealogy into three groups of fourteen generations (Matt. 1:17):

  • Abraham → David: Israel’s founding and covenant promise
  • David → Exile to Babylon: Decline and judgment
  • Exile → Christ: Hope and restoration

This genealogy is not exhaustive (Jewish genealogies often omitted lesser-known names), but intentionally arranged for theological emphasis and easy memorization—showing that history unfolds under God’s control.

III. Answers to Key Questions

1. Why does Matthew list Jesus’ genealogy? Who is included, and what does this reveal?

  • Purpose
    • To prove Jesus is Abraham’s descendant → tied to God’s promise that “all nations will be blessed” (Gen. 12:3).
    • To prove Jesus is David’s descendant → confirming the royal Messianic line (2 Sam. 7:16).
    • To show that God’s redemptive plan runs through history → even when people fail, God remains faithful.
  • Who is included?
    • Heroes of faith (Abraham, David)
    • Those who failed (Ahaz, Manasseh)
    • Jews and Gentiles (Rahab, Ruth)
  • What does this reveal?
    • God accomplishes His purposes through imperfect people.
    • Salvation is by grace, not by bloodline or human merit.
    • Christ is the climax of God’s long-planned redemption.

2. Which women appear in the genealogy? Why are they listed, and what does this show?

  • The women named:
    • Tamar (Gen. 38)
    • Rahab (Josh. 2)
    • Ruth (Ruth 1–4)
    • Bathsheba, called “the wife of Uriah” (2 Sam. 11)
    • Mary (Matt. 1)
  • Common traits:
    • Some had Gentile backgrounds (Rahab, Ruth)
    • Some had morally complex or scandalous stories (Tamar, Bathsheba)
    • Some were socially marginalized (Mary, an unmarried mother-to-be)
  • What does this show?
    • God’s salvation extends beyond Israel to all nations.
    • Grace triumphs over human sin and brokenness.
    • The Messiah came for sinners, not for the self-righteous.

3. In v.16, why is “Jesus was born of Mary” different from the usual “X fathered Y” pattern?

  • Different wording:
    • Earlier verses say “A was the father of B,” but v.16 says:
      “Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.”
  • Why the difference?
    • It does not say Joseph fathered Jesus → Jesus was not Joseph’s biological son but conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18–25).
  • What does this show?
    • Jesus is the legal heir of David through Joseph’s line.
    • Jesus is also the Son of God, born of a virgin, not by human generation.
    • The Messiah’s identity transcends human lineage—He is both fully human and fully divine.

4. What do the three groups of fourteen generations signify? What hope does Christ bring?

  • Meaning of three fourteens:
    • 14 = 7 × 2 → symbol of completeness and divine order.
    • History moves from Promise (Abraham) → Kingship (David) → Judgment (Exile) → Fulfillment (Christ).
    • History is not random, but directed by God’s sovereign plan.
  • The hope Jesus brings:
    • Jesus is the turning point of history → from loss to restoration.
    • Jesus fulfills every covenant promise → no more waiting.
    • Salvation now comes by faith, not works or ancestry.
    • He is both King and Savior → bringing not just personal redemption but the Kingdom of God.

IV. Summary

  • The genealogy proves Jesus is the promised Messiah — the Son of Abraham and David.
  • Women and Gentiles appear in His lineage — showing salvation is for all and is by grace.
  • Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, not by Joseph — confirming His divine Sonship.
  • Three groups of fourteen generations — history is guided by God, and Jesus is the climax of redemption.
Jesus is not an accident of history—He is the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan.
He came not only to change individual lives but to bring the hope of God’s Kingdom.

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